Kisnorbo faces loyalty test of the Heart

Hearts defender Patrick Kisnorbo, left, is in a club or country row.
Picture: AFP

When Frank Farina last week named his under-23 squad for this month's Athens Olympic qualifying tournament, Patrick Kisnorbo's name was missing.

Rather than spend five weeks in Sydney's summer playing against teams from the Pacific islands, Kisnorbo, one of Australia's hottest young talents, elected to spend the Scottish winter with his club, Hearts.

Club versus country? Farina's response was to deal tough love.

Players unavailable for the easy-yards Oceania qualifying tournament would not be considered for the August trip to Athens.

Kisnorbo's Olympic dream was over before it had begun.

The 22-year-old former South Melbourne defender, already capped five times for the senior Socceroos, is hurt by the hard line but missing the Olympics might provide a step towards other ambition.

"I want to be another Harry Kewell or Mark Viduka," Kisnorbo said.

His complicated reality has dogged many Australian internationals trying to carve out a career in Europe. Farina was just one whose international career was frequently frustrated by European club commitments. Add Viduka, Kewell, Ned Zelic, Paul Okon and Mark Bosnich to the list.

With the Oceania qualifying tournament scheduled outside FIFA-approved dates, Kisnorbo stands to lose his hard-won starting place in Hearts' side.

"I want to play for Australia. I want to play at Athens. Not coming for the qualifying tournament was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make.

"It's not a case of me not wanting to play. I've cemented myself a spot with Hearts but if I go and play for Australia in these qualifiers, I'll come back and have to start from scratch.

"You see so many Australian players start to do well in Europe but then fall by the wayside quicker than they have succeeded," he said. "I don't want to be just another player who has gone overseas and played for a season and come home."

Kisnorbo joined Hearts last July from National Soccer League club South Melbourne.

Cross-town derbies between Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers are usually considered the frying pan of British soccer but Edinburgh's parallel, between Hearts and Hibernian, is also a fiery affair.

Kisnorbo chose this season's derby to announce himself to the city's fans with a man-of-the-match performance.

"I used to think Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne was a proper derby but to play in an Edinburgh game was just incredible," Kisnorbo said.

"The gaffer said it would be different to any game that I'd played before but it was mind-blowing."

Another reason the Olympic qualifiers are ill-timed for Kisnorbo - his Hearts contract is under review at the end of the month. Big dollars could be coming his way but Kisnorbo said he's not shunning Australia to line his pockets.

He may not admit it publicly but in the back of his mind are his teenage years in Moonee Ponds.

Kisnorbo's father died 10 years ago and his mother has had to raise the family on her own.

If a long-term contract with Hearts is confirmed this month, Kisnorbo would secure not only a playing career but his family's financial future.